Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Mechelen

For one person, living costs are similar in Lyon and in Mechelen: $2,050 and $2,074 a month, rent and utilities included.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
Learn more

Mechelen Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Mechelen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lyon and in Mechelen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $2,074 in Mechelen, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Mechelen $2,074

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $3,188 in Mechelen, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Mechelen $3,188

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $4,302 in Mechelen, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Mechelen $4,302

Lyon and Mechelen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Lyon and Mechelen sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Mechelen by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.11

$22.32 €20.00

-24.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$107 €95.9

-36.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$13.53 €12.13

1.03%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$4.34 €3.89

-5.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.47

$3.39 €3.04

-18.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.91 €2.61

-43.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.81

$5.55 €4.97

36.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.45

$5.60 €5.02

8.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.20 €1.08

30.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.76 €2.47

-37.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.13 €1.91

15.02%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$3.83 €3.44

23.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.56

$16.26 €14.57

41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.94

$11.87 €10.64

2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.60

$19.65 €17.60

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.72 €2.44

-11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.35 €2.11

6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.61 €2.34

31.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.89 €2.59

10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.12 €1.90

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$1.85 €1.66

58.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.30 €1.17

8.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.06 €0.95

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$13.01 €11.66

6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$9.02 €8.09

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$1.83 €1.64

45.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.21 €1.98

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$3.32 €2.98

-27.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$54.8 €49.14

50.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$5.53 €4.95

51.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.71 €2.43

-18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.92

$45.54 €40.81

-9.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.10 €1.88

5.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.4K €30.8K

$35.2K €31.5K

-2.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.6K €33.7K

$36.2K €32.4K

3.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$268 €240

$210 €188

27.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.01 €12.55

$22.19 €19.88

-36.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.07

$46.71 €41.86

-37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.05

$29.40 €26.34

25.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.43

$13.54 €12.14

109.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.74

$15.83 €14.19

-3.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$628 €563

$565 €506

11.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

$21.1K €18.9K

-47.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$108 €96.8

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.86

$49.50 €44.35

-12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$106 €95.2

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$148 €132

-14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$929 €832

-4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$783 €702

-10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,684

$1,446 €1,296

29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$1,254 €1,123

9.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,758

$4,968 €4,452

29.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,869

$3,626 €3,249

19.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,750

$2,178 €1,952

40.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.53

4.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mechelen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Mechelen

$783 37.8% 11.6% $81

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Mechelen

$343 16.5% 10.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Mechelen

$279 13.4% 10.4% $32

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Mechelen

$335 16.2% 14.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Mechelen

$185 8.9% 2.8% $5

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Mechelen

$87 4.2% 21.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Mechelen

$61 2.9% 9.6% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $929 in Mechelen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $107 in Mechelen. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Lyon vs $343 in Mechelen – so Mechelen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

80,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Mechelen 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Mechelen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lyon vs Mechelen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Lyon and $3,110 in Mechelen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $891 in Lyon and $929 in Mechelen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Mechelen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $565 in Mechelen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Lyon and $2,074 in Mechelen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,050 in Lyon to $2,074 in Mechelen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.